An official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government visited Gov. Gwen Garcia to learn more about the Sugbusog program of the Provincial Government.
National Barangay Operations Office (NBOO) Director Dennis Villaseñor informed the governor that the DILG wants to learn the best practices of the Capitol’s successful Sugbusog program as it is also implementing its own “Halina't Magtanim ng Prutas At Gulay, Kadiwa ay Yaman, Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement (HAPAG KAY PBMM) program.
HAPAG KAY PBBM aims to address hunger and ensure food security by establishing vegetable gardens to diversify food sources and increase the production and supply of fresh fruits and vegetables in the communities.
NBOO is an office under the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Villaseñor was accompanied by DILG Cebu Director Atty. Ian Kenneth Lucero and DILG 7 Director Leocadio Trovela during their visit.
Villaseñor admitted that Cebu’s Sugbusog is “several steps ahead,” that’s why they’re learning from its best practices to apply them to the implementation of their program.
On Friday, he and his team will visit the town of Alegria and other municipalities to immerse themselves and see how the Sugbusog has impacted communities in the countryside.
Villaseñor and his team also confirmed that they would also join the kick-off of the Capitol-initiated Caravan of Services for the second quarter in Barili town tomorrow, May 19.
During their visit, Gov. Gwen narrated how Sugbusog, which was implemented at the height of the pandemic restrictions in 2020, helped Cebu achieve its food sufficiency goals and capacitated communities in growing their own produce. What started as a program only involving households, puroks, and barangays is now a full-blown sustainable food sufficiency effort that now includes LGUs, schools, police stations, and hospitals.
The governor also took the opportunity to share to the DILG exec the best practices that Cebu has done in the area of tourism and other livelihood programs that helped the province in economic recovery efforts. | Carlo Lorenciana